Gable railway grip



(.No Model.)

J. H. ROBERTSON. CABLE RAILWAY GRIP. 5

No. 377,499. Patent-ed Pe15;.7, '1.888.

. N. PETERS. Plmwlihbgnpher. Washington, D. C.

(No Model.) v Sheets-Sheet J. H. ROBERTSON. CABLE RAILWAY GRIP.

Patentedeb. v7

No.l 377,499.

(Np Model.) f 4 sheets-sheet 3.

Jj.' H. ROBERTSON.

CABLE RAILWAY GRIP. No. 877,499. .Patented rgb. 7, 1888.

Zyl/'571.65563' v' l I (No Model.)

4 sheets--sheet- 4.

J. R. ReRRRTSoN.- GABLR RAILWAY GRIP.

Patented Feb. '7, 1888. l

A Nol 377,499.

N. Penna Fmmumempw. www. n c

. mon means of operating the movable jaw con- UNITED STATES JOHN H.ROBERTSON,

PATENT OErrcEe OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CABLE-RAILWAY GRIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 377,499, dated February7, 1888.

Application tiled April 20, 1887.

To all. whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. ROBERTSON, of the city and county of NewYork, in the State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Cable-Railway Cars, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates more particularly to the construction of the gripmechanism which is provided upon cable-railway cars.

My invention is applicable to cable-grips which comprise a fixed jawsecured upon a grip-frame depending from the car and a movable jawcarried by a head which slides upon said frame and is raised andloweredto grip and release the cable. Commonly these grips are made double, orwith jaws upon opposite sides, so as to engage either desired one of twocables.

In the operation of grips of this character themovable jawv is raised orlowered slightly to apply it to the cable with gripping `force and torelease it therefrom very frequently in a trip, and whenever 'it isdesired to stop the car to take on or let off a passenger, and suchmovable jaw has its maximum length of movement given to it onlyoccasionally-as, for example, when it is desired to pick up a cable atthe terminus ofthe line or elsewhere. A comsists of a lever upon thecar-platform connected by suitable mechanism with the sliding frame towhich the movable jaw is attached, and in order to vsecure the maximummovement of the sliding jaw a comparatively wide range of movement ofthe operatinglever is necessary. A long lever is necessary in order toobtain a sufficient leverage to apply the movable jaw with a stronggripping action to the cable, and such long lever, if it were necessaryto operate it through a range of movement sufficient to perform theentire movement of the movable jaw, would require more space than thereis upon the platform of an ordinary carrier its manipulation.

An important object of my invention is to provide for the employment ofa long lever having comparatively great leverage for applying themovable jaw with gripping force to the cable, and at the same time toreduce the range of movement necessary for such lever. To this end Icombine with the xed and mov- Serial No. 235,462. (No model.)

able jaws of the cable-grip a lever and connections for operating themovable `jaw and a movable fulcrumsupportffor the lever,whereby thelever and movable jaw may be moved by the fulcrum-support to bring thejaw into gripping relation with the cable before th'e jaw'is operated togrip the cable by. said lever. The grip-lever may have aratchet-and-pawl lock, whereby it engages with a frame or housing inwhich it is mounted, and the pawl acts as a fulcrum when the normalfulcrurn-support of the lever is moved to perform the maximum portion ofthe movement of thegrippingjaw. The movable fulcrum-support forthegrip-lever may advantageously consist of a second lever, which is forkedto embrace the grip-lever and constructed with camshaped slots receivingthe fulcrum of the grip-lever, and the fulcrum-pin of the grip-lever mayslide within a horizontal slot in the frame or housing wherein thelevers are arranged. When the grip is operated from either end of thecar, it' is usual to disconnect the grip-connections from the lever atthe opposite end o'f the car, and this may be accomplished byconstructing the rod through which the lever operates directly with afork receiving the end of the lever and having a spring-actuatedjoint-pin, lwhereby provision is afforded'for disconnecting the leverfrom the movable jaw.

The invention also consists in novel details of construction andcombination of. parts ,grip-lever to the rising and falling frame whichycarries the movable jaw.

Theinvention also consists in a novel construction and combination ofparts whereby the stationary grip-frame is held in central positionwidthwise of the car by devices which permit it to yield or movelaterally in round- .ing curves.

The invention further consists in a .novel combination of parts wherebywear inthe lower movable jaw of the grip is compensated for or taken upautomatically. f 1

The invention also consists in a novel combination of parts connectedwith the grip and by which either cable,when it is desired to no longeruse it, may be thrown laterallyout of range of the gripping-jaws.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l roo represents a longitudinalsection of such portions of a car and its grip as are necessary toillustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the two axles and the framesupportedin fixed relation to them and to which the grip mechanism andthe brake mechanism are secured. Fig. 3 is an elevation, upon a largerscale than Fig. l, of one grip-lever and its movable support,illustrating such parts in the position which they occupy when themovable jaw is in an inoperative position or is farthest removed fromthe ixedjaw. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the parts shown in Fig. 3, but'illustrating them in the position which they occupy when the movablefnlcrum-support ofthe grip-lever has been shifted to bring the movablejaw of the grip into gripping relation to its cable. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section upon about the plane of the dotted line x w, Fig. 4.Fig. 6 is a plan of a portion of the rod through which the grip-levertransmits its motion, and illustrating the construction wherebyprovision is ai'orded for disconnecting such rod from the grip-lever.Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation, upon a larger scale than Fig. l, of thegrip mechanism, also showing a portion of its supporting-frame. Fig. 8is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a vertical sectionupon about the plane of the dotted line y y, Fig. 7; and Figs. 10 and 1lare views of the grip-jaws and appurtenances similar to Fig. 9,

but upon a larger scale, and showing the` throw-01T devices which areemployed. ln Fig.10 these throw-off devices are represented in theirinoperative position, and in Fig. 1l they are represented in theposition which they occupy when in action.

Similar letters of reference designate correspending parts in all thefigures.

A designates the axles of the car, on which are the supporting-wheelsA', and B designates the main frame or platform of the car, which may besupported from the axles by any suitable system of springs.

I have not shown the springs or axle-boxes, as their construction willbe well understood by mechanics familiar with the subject, and myinvention in no way relates to them.

From the axles is supported a frame which is maintained in ixed relationto them, and from which the grip and also the brake mechanism issupported. As here represented,this frame consists of I-beams C, whichare parallel with each other, as best shown in Fig. 2, and which aresecured at the end in castings C', constructed with boxes to Iit theaxles A, and this fixed frame also comprises cross portions or castingsC2, which are best shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 7. These cross pieces orcastings 02 serve to maintain the beams C at proper distances apart, andalso serve to directly support the grip-frame, as I shall now proceed todescribe.

What I term the fixed frame of the grip comprises a head-piece, D, (bestshown in Figs. 7 and 8,) and two plates or thin uprights, D', rigidlysecured to and depending central position after lateral movement.

from this head and connected at their lower ends by a cross piece orbrace, D. To the plates or thin uprights D is fixed ajaw-holder, d, inwhich is removably secured a fixed `jaw or die, d', and opposite to thisfixed jaw or die, but below it, is amovable jaw or die, di, secured inposition within the jaw-holder D3. This jaw-holder D3 is mortised, so asto slide upon the upright plates D', and is itself secured to a centralplate, D", which is termed a lifting-plate, and which has at the upperend a cross-head, D5, fitted to slide upon suitable guides, d, formedupon the fixed frame D D. I have here represented the fixed plates Dashaving fixed jaw-holders d secured upon their opposite sides, and thelifting-plate D* as having its sliding head D3 provided with movablejaws on its opposite sides, so that the grip is adapted for receivingand to operate in connection with either one of two parallel cables.

It will be understood that the several plates D' D4 travel in a narrowslot through which the cable-tunnel beneath the street communi Cateswith the surface, each slot being, for example, only aboutthree-quarters of an inch in width. It will therefore be necessary inrounding curves that the entire grip mechanism shall be free to movetransversely to thelength of the car. In some constructions such lateralmovement is provided for by pivoting the fixed frame of the grip at itsupper end; but in a preferable construction the frame of the grip is sosupported at its upper end that it may move bodily in a lateraldirection, and so that, notwithstanding its lateral movement, the platesD" Dl will always maintain their vertical position. In this example ofmy invention the ends of the framehead D are supported by and are fittedto slide laterally between cross pieces or bearers d, which may berectangular, as shown best in Fig. 7, and which extend across betweenears or lugs c, with which the cross-pieces C2 of the fixed framesupported by the axles are provided.

The ears or lugs c are at such distance apart as to permit thelateralmovement or" the framehead D between them, and in the ears or lugs aremounted buffers c', which slide in suitable sockets, c, provided forthem, and to which are applied springs ci. These buffers c normally holdthe frame-head D in central posi- `tion widthwise of the car, and yetthey will yield to permit the frame to move laterally from suchposition, and will return it'to such The bearers or pins d* areremovably iitted in the lugs or ears, so that they may, one or both ofthem, be removed when the gripframe is to be detached from the frame CC2, and such pins or bearers are held against accidental displacement bycross-pins 0*, as shown in Fig. 2, or by other suitable means. Theframe-head D of the fixed grip-frame is forked or yoked at the center,as best shown in Figs. 8 and 9, and through this fork or `yoke extends apin or bolt, e. Within-the yoke of the frame-head D,

l ool IIO and-upon the bolt orl pin e, is fulcrumed a lever E, which hasa shorter arm, e', connectedby a rod or link, e2, with the cross-head D5of the grip.

E designates other levers, which Iare fulcrumed upon a pin or' pivot, e,and which extend on opposite sides thereof. These levers E straddle theframe-head D, and their lower ends are sepalated considerably, 'as shownbest in Fig. 9, while their upper ends are deilected inward, so as tolie close to and on opposite sides of the lever E. The pin or bolt emaybe considered as a rock-shaft, lupon which t-he levers E are secured,and the lever E, with its short arm e', may be considered as armsprojecting from this rock shaft. A pin or bolt. e3, connects the upperends of the levers E E together, and with these ends and by this commonpin a forked grip-operating rod, F, is connected. lith the oppositeorlower ends of the levers E is connected a rod, F', which is forked fora considerable distance, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, so as to straddlethe grip. A draft upon either of the rods F F will tend to lift the arme', and through the rod or link e2 will raise the liftingplate D* andthe movable jaw-holder D3.

Itis obvious that as the movable and lixed jaws of the grip wear by usethe lifting-plate D4 and the movable jawholder D3 must be raised agreater distance to bring the movable jaw into gripping action upon thecable. To compensate for such wear, I provide in the mechanism throughwhich the lifting-frame of the grip is operated an automatic take updevice, which is best shown in Figs. 7 and 9. The rod or link e2, `whichenters the cross-head D5, is fitted upon a'pin or short shaft, e, havingan eccentric portion, e5, which is received in the eye of the rod, andupon this pin or short shaft is a ratchet-wheel, e6, with which engagesa stop-pawl, ci.

Upon the framehead D of the grip I have represented a pawl, es, which,by a toe, e9, upon its upper end engaging a projectiomel", upon theframe-head D, is held in about the position represented in Fig. 7. Whenwear upon the jaws of the grip has taken place to such an extent that inthe lifting movement of the crosshead D5 the teeth of the ratchet-wheele6 are brought into engagement with the pawl es, it is obvious that thepawl will, when the grip is released and permitted to descend, turn thewheel e6 the space of a tooth, and by such turning movement theeccentric portion e5 of the pin or short shaft c*- will be rotatedwithin the eye of the rod e2, and will have the effect of lowering thepivotal center of ysaid rod in the crosshead, thus compensatingautomatically for the wear to which the dies or jaws are subjected.

As best shown in Fig. l, the rods F F, .through which the gripisoperated from opposite ends of the car, are connected with the lowerends of grip-levers F2, and the description of one lever andappurtenances'applies clearly to both. Thelever F2 is supported in aframe or housing, F3, and has a pawl, f', which engages a series ofratchet-` after it has been moved to apply the grip. This pawl may belifted yto unlock the lever by means vof a hand-piece or spoon, f3,applied to the upper end of the lever.

The lifting-frame of the grip, which 'carries the movable jaw, has to beraised and lowered to a slight extent very frequently from time to timeas the car is to be stopped or started;

but it is necessary only occasionally to move and raise the movable jawthroughout vits whole range of movement.

Itis of course necessary to provide a griplever F2 of considerablelength, in order to obtain sufficient power to apply the movable jawwith such 'pressure to the cable as to prevent its slipping, and uponthe platform of the car there is no room for the operation of such longlever through a sufficientrange to perform the maximum lifting andlowering move ment of the movable jaw. In order that this excessivemotion of the long griplever shall not be necessary, I provide a movablefulcrumsupport for the grip-lever F, which may be rst operated to raisethe movable jaw into gripping relation to the cable, and then by acomparatively slight movement of the lever F2 the jaw may be appliedwith gripping force to the cable. The constructionof thisfnlcrum-support for the grip-lever F2 will be best understood from Figs.3, 4E, and 5. As yhere represented, the movable fulcrum-support consistsof a lever,jF*, which is fulcrumed at ff in the frame or housing F3, andwhich has its portion below the fulcrum f4 forked, so as to embracethevgrip-lever F2. The forked portion of the lever F* is constructedwithcamshaped or eccentric slots f5, which receive through them thefulcrum-pin fof the griplever F2, and such fulcrum or pin fis free toslide horizontally in slots f, formed in the frame or housing F3.

The cam-shaped slots f 5 of the lever F4 have at the lower end concavedepressions or seats f7, which are of such size that the fulcrum f ofthe griplever may work in them. and it will be obvious that when thelever' F* is swung upon its fulcrumj" the cam-shaped or eccentricslotsf5 will, by their action upon the fulcrumfof the grip-lever'FZ,move that fulcrum.-

laterally or horizontallyin the slots f6, and when the lever F" is movedto the position shown in Fig. 4 the seats or depressions fl- IOO IIO

are brought into the same horizontal plane with the slotsf, and thefulerum f, by dropping back into these seats or depressions, will holdthe lever FL in the position to which it is moved without any additionallocking devices.

lower end of the grip-lever F?, constitutes thev resistance to beovercome when the lever F4 is moved'from the positionshownin Fig.A 3 tothe position shown in Fig. 4,'- and the lever F* serves to move thelever F? and `to raise ,the

The rod F or F', being connected with the movable jaw of the grip intogripping relation tothe cable, the pawlf meanwhile serving as a fnlcrumupon which the lever F2 is moved. After the movable jaw has thus beenraised into gripping relation tothe cable,the jaw may be applied withgripping force to the cable by the operation of the lever F2, andinasmuch as but a comparatively slight movement of the jaw is necessaryto grip the cable the move ment of the grip-lever F2 will not beexcessive. When the grip is controlled by the lever Fi at one end of thecar, it is necessary to disconnect the rod F or F from the other leverF2. To provide for this, I may make the rod with a fork, o, as shown inFig. 6, and fit the pin o' to slide by a hand-lever, o2, fulcrumed ato3, and having a spring, 0*, applied to it.

The rods F F may have in them turnbuckles, as shown at f in Fig. 1, inorder to properly adjust their length.

I will now describe the brakes and brakeapplying mechanism, which willbe best understood from Figs. 1 and 2. Upon the axles A are securedbrake-drums A2, which are independent of the supporting-wheels A', and,as here represented, have circumferentiallygrooved faces. Twobrake-drums are provided on each axle, one upon each side of the centralline of the car, and brake-shoes H are arranged in operative relation tothese drums.` The brake-shoes may be held in place by links or rods h,pivoted upon brackets or posts h', rising from cross pieces or bars H,secured upon the beams C of the frame, which is supported by the axles.Upon each of the beams C, as best shown in Fig. 2, is secured a bracket,C3, to which is pivoted a lever, H2, as shown. The lever H2 is pivotedat h2 and has short arms h3, extending in opposite directions, and whichare connected by rods h with the brake-shoes H. In these rods areturn-buckles h5, for adjusting them to proper length, and from the longarm of the lever H2 extends a rod, h, for operating such lever to applyor remove the brakes. The rods h extend from the levers H2, which are onopposite sides of the car, toward opposite ends thereof, and areconnected with brakeapplying levers H3 at opposite ends of the car. Eachbrake-applying lever may be fulcrumed at h7 in the frame or housing F3,which supports the grip and fulcrum levers F2 F". When the car is movingin one direction, the driver operates the brake-lever H3 at the end ofthe car at which he may be, and thus applies the brake-shoes H to thebrake-drums A2, which are on both axles at one side of the car, and whenhe is at the other end of the car, and the car is moving in a reversedirection, he applies to the brake-drums A2 on both axles thebrake-shoes H, which are on the opposite side of the car.

I do not here claim the mechanism shown for operating the brakes, as itis made the subject of my application for Letters Patent Serial No.256,622, led December 1, 1887.

When it is desired to transfer the grip from one cable to another, thecable before in use is thrown off laterally, and I will now describe,with particular reference to Figs. 9, 10, and 11, the mechanism which Iemploy for accomplishing this result. Upon the lower sliding head, D3,of the vertically-movable frame of the grip which carries the jaw d2 arecablesupporting sheaves hand just inward of these sheaves, and lyingVclose to the upright plates D of the fixed giipfranie, are throw-offlevers I, which are best shown in Figs. 10 and 11. These levers I arearranged in pairs, and one at each end of each of the movable jaws d2 onopposite sides of the grip. They are arranged in notches t', formed inthe sliding head or jawholder D3, and are fnlcrumed at 'i' beyond theconcavcd upper surface of the movable jaw di. Operating rods orconnections l are pivoted one to each of the throw-off levers I at thepoints i2, and are so shaped as to conform nearly to the contour of thethrow-oif levers fitting in the notches 'i in the jaw-holder Di. Whenthe operati ng rods or connections I are raised, the th row-off levers Iare not lifted bodily, because the pivots i,on which they are fnlcrumed,retain their fixed posit-ion on the sliding head D", but by the liftingofthe connections I the levers I are swung outward di rectly on theirpivots, and thus they throw oli' the cables without having to lifttheweight of the cables, which are meantime supported upon the lowerjaws.Each pair of the rods or connections l is connected by a cross-pin, is,with a vertically-movable rod or bar, J, lying in the saine plane withthe plates Dl D, but close to the edge of thelatter. These rods J, onein advance of and one behind the grip, are tted to suitable guides, j,in the fixed jaw-holder d, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, and the rods orbars J are connected at their upper ends with the laterally-extendingarms j of threearmed levers J. These levers are fulcrumed at j"z in thefixed frame ofthe grip, and through arms which extend upward anddownward from their fnlcrums are connected with each other by crossconnections j, as shown in Fig. 7, the upper end ofthe lever J on oneside of the grip being by the rod or connection j joined to the lowerend of the lever J on the opposite side of the grip. Consequently itwill be seen that motion transmitted to either of the levers J will,through the cross-connections j, be imparted to the opposite lever. Whenthe cable is to be thrown off, the rods J are lifted, and through thelower pairs of rods or connections I thereof the levers I are swung upontheir pivots i in a plane transverse to the line of movement of thecable, and as represented in Fig. 11. Such move` ment of the throw-ofi`levers I will throw either cable out of range of the grip. Any suitableconnections may be employed for operating the rods J from the ends ofthecar. The means here shown in Fig. 1 at each end of the car consists of abell-crank lever, Jl, fulcrumed at j* and having connected with one arma pushpin, f5, which extends through the car-platform. The other arm ofthis bell-crank lever 1s connected by a rod, j, with the upper arm ofone of the three-armed levers J', and when pressure is exerted upon thepush-ping'5 the laterally-extending arms j of the levers J' will belifted, and through the rods J and I will produce the operation of thethrow-0E levers I and throw off the cable.

In the foregoing description I have referred tothe frame D D' d as thefixed frame of the grip to distinguish it from thevertically-movable orlifting frame D3 D4 D5, and notwithstanding the fact that such fixedframe, as

I term it, is free to move to a limited degree laterally as the car mayround curves.

To enable the lower grip-jaws-to be raised without interfering with thethrowoff devices carried by the movable jaw-holder, I slot the rods J,as shown atp in Fig. 7.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination, with the fixed and movable` jaws of a cable-grip, ofa lever and connections for operating the movable jaw, and a movablefulcrum support for the lever, whereby the lever and movable jaw may bemoved by the fulcrum-support to bring the said jaw into grippingrelation to'the cable before the jaw is applied by the operationof saidlever to grip the cable, substantially as herein described.

2. The combination, with the fixed and movablejaws'of a cable-grip, of alever and connections for operating the movable jaw, a movablefulcrum-support for said lever, and a ratchetand-pawl lock for saidlever, whereby the lever will be held to prevent its swinging on itsfulcrum when the fulcrum-support is moved, substantially as hereindescribed.

3. The combination, with the xed and movable jaws of a cable-grip, of agrip-lever and connections for operating the movable jaw, and a secondlever having a cam-shaped slot receiving the fulcrum of the grip-leverand which by its movement serves to shift the grip-lever and move thegrip-jaw into'gripping relation to the cable, substantially as hereindescribed.

4. The combination, with the iixed and movable jaws of a cable-grip, ofa grip-lever and connections for operating the movable jaw, the frameF3, having slots f, in which the fulcrum f of said lever may slide, thelever F, having cam-shaped slots f5, also receiving the grip-leverfulcrum, and a lock whereby the grip-lever may be fixed in the frame ata point above its fulcrum, substantially as herein'described.

5. The combination, with a movable grip- 6o jaw-and its operating-lever,of the rod F or F', through which said jaw is moved by the lever, thesaid rod being forked at o, and havlng the springactuated joint-pin o',whereby provision is aorded for disconnecting the leverv from themovable jaw, substantially as. herein described.

6. The combination, with the head D of the the rods F F' are connected,substantially as herein described.

7. rllhe combination, with the axles of a car and a frame supported infixed relation thereto and provided with the removable horizontal guidesd, of a grip-frame depending from and movable laterally between saidguides,and the buffers c', for holding said grip-frame in centralposition, substantially as herein described.

8. The combination, with a main grip-frame carrying a fixed jaw, ofa'movable jaw and the lifting-plate and cross-head-through which it isoperated, and a rod or link connected with the cross-head and having anautomatic takeup device for compensating for wear in the jaws,substantially as herein described.

9. The combination, with the movable jaw of a cable-grip and thelifting-plate and crossv head for operating said jaw, of a link or rodfor operating the cross-head, an eccentric-pin whereby said link orrodis connected with the 'cross-head, and which carries a ratchet-wheel,and a pawl upon the grip-frame, which serves, when the cross-head israised sufficiently, to engage the ratchet, s-ubstantially as hereindescribed.

10. The combination, with the fixed and movable jaws of a cable-grip anda head, D3, carrying the lower jaw, of a throw-off lever pivoted in saidheadk to swing in a vertical plane transverse tothe line of cable, andthe lifting-connection attached to the said throwoff lever at a pointinward of thepivot connecting it with the head, and by which the saidlever may be swung upon its pivot, said pivot IIO remaining in fixedposition on the head, suby stantially as herein described.

11. The combination, in a `double cablegrip, of a head carrying thelower jaw, thethroW-off levers I, movable in said head, and the rods I',whereby said throw-off levers are operated, substantially as hereindescribed.

12.-'Ihe combination, in a cable-grip', of a .head carrying the lowerjaw, throw-off levers pivoted in said head at opposite ends of the l jawto swing in vertical planes transverse to the line of cable, thethree-armed levers J', having cross-connections ja, and connected byrods J I' with the throw-0E levers, and connections from opposite ends of the car to said three-armed levers, substantially as hereindescribed.. Y

JOHN H. ROBERTSON. Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNEs,

HENRY J. MCBRIDE.

